2015 Top 20 Prospects

Taijuan Walker, Danny Hultzen, and James Paxtonmake up the incredible pitching prospect trio that will inevitably fill up the Mariners' rotation. Walker (21), Hultzen (23), and Paxton (24) were all drafted within the first four rounds and all have advanced quickly through the minor leagues. All three of these prospects will eventually step into the rotation; the only question remaining is when. Walker and Paxton have each made a few starts in September for the Mariners and pitched very well. Hultzen was injured for most of the 2013 season, and as a result did not get called up when the other two did. Expect all three to be in the major league rotation by the end of the season though; Felix Hernandez and Hisashi Iwakuma have claimed spots. Joe Saunders and the other fill-ins have just been simply waiting for the trio's arrivals and for each to take their own spot in the rotation.

Taijuan Walker was selected by the Seattle Mariners with the 43rd overall pick in the 2010 MLB draft. He quickly advanced through the minor leagues in all of three years and saw a September call-up this season so that he could refine his skills and adjust his pitches to the major league level. Walker's 2013 season was split between AA and AAA, where he pitched to a 2.46 ERA (3.13 FIP) and 3.61 ERA (3.62 FIP) respectively. Walker possesses a dangerous fastball and a good curveball and changeup; tools that he used to breeze through his three major league starts against the Astros (twice) and the Royals. According to MLB.com he is the number one right handed pitching prospect and the number four prospect overall, and he projects to be a frontline starter. His 6'4" frame allows him to overpower opposing batters with his fastball, which he threw 65% of the time in his short stint pitching for the Mariners. Opponents batted just .189 against his fastball that reached an average of 94.3 mph. (In the minor leagues, his fastball averaged a much higher velocity: somewhere in the high 90's) His impact on the rotation could be huge; he would assume his role in the third slot to start the 2014 season and may end up even overtaking Iwakuma for the second spot by 2015. The only real concerns with Walker would be his innings cap and his walk rate. Being so young, Walker may only see 175 innings in 2014 and would be most likely capped off in September if he starts the season in the rotation. In addition, his walk rate is higher than most major league pitchers because he is still trying to locate his fastball - but will eventually lower itself enough to be an average walk rate. He has seen comparisons to his future "mentor" in Felix Hernandez and projects to have similar statistics to a younger Hernandez. Expect Walker to be playing his best in Spring Training so that he can lock down a rotation spot; Walker and his fellow pitching prospects will most likely be enough to thrust the Mariners into playoff competition.

Danny Hultzen could end up being better than Taijuan Walker. However, shoulder injuries have recently derailed his accelerating career and put his future in doubt in the minds of many skeptics. The southpaw pitcher was selected with the second overall pick in the 2011 MLB draft. Hultzen sailed through AA and landed in AAA before the end of the 2012 season; however, he amassed a 5.92 ERA (4.29 FIP) in AAA to close out the season. 2012 proved his youth and just how inexperienced he was even for a top pick. In 2013, he started just six games for the Mariners in AAA but was shut down for the most of the season because of ongoing shoulder problems. Hultzen received surgeries repairing his labrum, rotator cuff, and shoulder capsule in an effort to set his career back on track. The most recent, the shoulder capsule surgery, may require Hultzen to miss much, if not all of the 2014 season. With such a delicate outlook, do not expect to see Hultzen immediately in the major leagues. If healthy, he will most likely see most of 2014 in AAA again with a probable September call-up. Similarly to Walker, Hultzen was named the number one left handed pitching prospect and the number 23 prospect overall. He possesses a strong four-seam fastball (main pitch), and a very good curveball and changeup. Hultzen actually has very similar concerns to Walker in that he has a decently high walk rate and should look to hone his command on his fastball. Additionally, durability is now a major concern because of his shoulder and lack of innings experience. Hultzen may not see the field at all next year, but if he does, expect him to hold his ground as the real deal with the small sample size that he most likely will be limited to. He could produce big results for the Mariners as he projects somewhat closely to a Cliff Lee type pitcher and easily be the ace of most teams. Follow Hultzen the closest in the months to come.

James Paxton is seen by most as the weakest of the three prospects because of his draft pick and disguised AAA statistics. However, Paxton may be just as good of a pitcher as either Walker or Hultzen. Paxton was originally drafted 37th overall by the Blue Jays but decided to return to college for his senior year. Because of complication stemming from his agent, Scott Boras, Paxton could not return and was pushed into signing with an independent team. In the 2010 draft, Paxton was drafted by the Mariners in the fourth round and, like the others, advanced rapidly through the minor leagues. After pitching in 2011 between A and AA and 2012 in AA, Paxton spent 2013 mostly with AAA and finished with a 4.45 ERA. This mark is marred by bad defense and errors by the fielders behind him in the minor leagues, and ultimately resulted in a 3.55 FIP. Paxton earned a September call-up and made four starts for the Mariners against Kansas City, Detroit, St. Louis, and Tampa Bay, resulting in a 1.50 ERA. He has the greatest chance to break camp with the Mariners and enter the season as the third/fourth starter on the team. There aren't many concerns with the well polished all around prospect and looks to be a good starter throughout his career. Expect big things early from Paxton.

Image citations in order of page:http://blog.seattlepi.com/baseball/2012/05/08/who-will-be-the-next-star-for-the-seattle-mariners/http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/fantasy/news/20130628/fantasy-baseball-prospect-watch-seattle-mariners/http://thegoodpoint.com/danny-hultzen-2011-mlb-draft/http://www.zimbio.com/pictures/d5TPWGEUz3w/Tampa+Bay+Rays+v+Seattle+Mariners/LpSCBYEnWwx/James+Paxton